


I am the only one

by Rasilina



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst and Tragedy, Bounty Hunters, F/M, Outer Space
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-21
Updated: 2020-04-21
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:27:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23765341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rasilina/pseuds/Rasilina
Summary: AU. Bulma, the lone survivor of Earth’s purge from imperious PTO. Now turned bounty hunter, she does what is needed to survive in a galaxy that is ruled by sadistic Lord Frieza.  Equipped with her Ocēlōtl AI armor named J.A.C.O;  She allies with a rogue group of imperial Saiyans to strike at the empire. Inspired by The Mandalorian.
Relationships: Bulma Briefs/Vegeta
Comments: 22
Kudos: 17





	1. Eyes of a stranger

**Author's Note:**

> First Fanfic. I know it's chalked full of grammatical errors.

He felt cold.  
The murky blue liquid distorted his vision. He could hear the gentle hum of the healing tank and then a metallic clank. A slight movement was caught in the low lights of the medical bay. A humanoid figured appeared clad in metal armor.  
He slowly closes his eyes. The battle earlier took a lot of his energy. All he wanted was to sleep. Why was he being pestered? He had answered all of the interrogation questions earlier. He hasn’t spoken to his father in years. He knew that he had a younger brother out there somewhere. He didn’t give a fuck about either one of them.  
The oxygen mask across his face sets uncomfortable, biting into the side of his jaw. He groans from the discomfort of his injury. Shifting his weight to the side allowing the liquid to soothe his aching muscles. The humanoid walks closer to him and gently touches the panel. He opens his eyes quickly, a low growl vibrates his chest. It dawns on him this humanoid is not wearing imperial armor. It’s armor littered with dents and battle scars. He could imagine the armor to be polished and smooth to the touch at once upon a time. He notices a faded odd blue crest on the shoulder pad. No emblem he has ever seen before.  
The humanoid tilts Its head to the side as if trying to analyze him or the healing tank. It reaches for the helmet covering with one hand and with a click the visor springs upwards revealing Its eyes.  
Crystal blue eyes. 

A thin blue eyebrow moves upwards in a questioning expression. The mischief begins and with a playful wink It points to the side panel and then waves bye-bye. Is this fucking thing mocking him?  
Bubbles escapes his oxygen mask as he forces air from his lungs. He glances to the side of the glass where the humanoid touched the panel. His eyes widen when he hears the timed electronic pulse of an explosive device.  
Fuck. In a blink of an eye the humanoid disappeared.

“Blue, I would suggest turning right.”  


“Damn it Jaco. You could have told me sooner.” She climbs her way through the wiring to the main thermal control system of the space station.  


“Tehehe” She clicks another electronic explosive to the side of the main column. Setting the time detonation accordantly.  


“Blue-- you have 5 minutes till detonation. I also think you are enjoying this way too much.”  


“I know asshole. Don’t rush perfection and maybe I am.” She speaks through gritted teeth.  


“Do you think he will set off the alarms?” She hears Jaco’s voice through her helmet. His voice fades out with static every other word which begins to irritate her.  


“He won’t... Self-preservation. If he’s anything like his father, he will high-tail it out of here. Let’s toast this place. I have credits to collect. Plus I need a shower and some wine.” She stretches her limbs before leaping into a ducting vent.  


“3 minutes till detonation.”

Vegeta slams his scouter into the console of the space pod.  
“Fuck it to hell. The idiot is a traitor.” He was notified that Raditz was on the PTO space station. He watched the video feed through his scouter several times always pausing on the eyes of a stranger. Looking for any clues that gave away the assailants identity.  
Those eyes always staring back at him. Mocking him. He fucking wanted to gouge them out. It’s funny with all the fucking technology in the galaxy and the video feed was always shitty.  
Bright Eyes and Raditz wanted for destroying PTO property.  
He sets his pod coordinates to the nearest planet next to the once glorious PTO space station.  
“Nappa. We are heading for Xālli.” 

“Do you think they would be dumb enough to hide out there?” He could hear Nappa waiting for a response.  


“We will find them both and bring them in cold.”


	2. Water Bag.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How many credits can Bulma get?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bad by Royal Deluxe  
> I broke so many bones  
> But none of them were ever my own  
> They were an army, I was alone  
> I broke so many bones

“Blue, we have company. Blue!”  
If Jaco had eyes he would roll them right now. How could she sleep at a time like this?  
Blue sitting in an old chair at the back of a musty tavern, her legs propped on the table without a care in the world. Jaco quietly actives her armor to 65% power output.  
“Two elite soldiers that just arrived revealing high energy signatures. Wake up, You water bag!”

All it took was a little nudge to the Ocēlōtl’s chair and the thing went flying backward with a clumsy thud.  
“Ack, Son of a Bitch! Who the fuck?” Her voice sounds raspy robotic-like through the voice modifier. She scrambles to her feet.

“So far from home Ocēlōtl’s. I thought your kind always landed on your feet.” Vegeta grabs a nearby bar chair. He flips the chair around and sits while watching the odd rust bucket, clumsy get Its footing.

“I believe in taking a break every once in a while, especially in the presence of weaker creatures.” She pretends to dust her armor trying to appear unaffected.

Nappa phased in front of her, slamming her head into the wall. Thank Kami that her helmet held its integrity.

“Disrespectful disgusting bug!” Nappa swings his meaty fist aimed at her head. She braces herself but the blow never connects. A simple side glance from Vegeta and Nappa paused.

Vegeta void of any expression, his best poker face. “I need information from you.” Vegeta tosses credits down on the table along with a crypto card. “We have a rogue solider that just recently went AWOL. I need to know his whereabouts. I understand that Ocēlōtls would sell their offspring for a few credits.”

“Tell your gorilla to stand down. I don’t want to break your pet.”  
Nappa glances downwards. Her hand charging an energy blast right at his crotch.

Vegeta starts laughing hysterically, “I guess the Ocēlōtl is right.” He waves his hand dismissing Nappa. The brute quickly releases her, but gives her a shove before moving to scare some poor bar fly.

She eyes the credits on the table while rubbing her neck. “Who?” Saved by the suit, reminding herself to give Jaco an extra tune-up.

“A simple thank you would do.” She hears her suits voicing his opinion in her ear.

“A common soldier. The information is on the crypto card” Vegeta notices that the Ocēlōtl took more of a beating from a chair than Nappa.

“Interesting. Lord Frieza sends an elite. Judging by your marks you’re of royalty?” She glances at Nappa, calculating his energy signature, motoring his body language.

Jaco whispers in her ear. “Secondary elite no longer a threat.”

“You will have to do better than that.” She walks towards Vegeta, strumming her fingers on the weathered table. She’s fully aware of who the mighty Saiyan Prince is with his infamous distinct features. The flamed shaped mop of hair and his arrogant attitude. She read his files, along with the Saiyan history, culture, and military tactics. Anything that could expose a weakness. She didn’t hate the Saiyans, and could relate to them on some level. While they are used as slaves of war by the PTO. She was free to do as she pleased, though her freedom came with a price.

“Ocēlōtl you need to be cautious. Just takes a snap and I can rip your head clean off your shoulders.”

“You wouldn’t get any vital information, if I’m dead. It seems to me you have used all your resources, and are getting pretty desperate.”

Her fingers gently touch the credits. “Ah, I see.” Turning the credits over in her hand. “Lord Frieza should have more credits than this. Unless, this isn’t his but yours.”  
She hears him growl. Her monitor signals a spike in his energy. She knows she’s poking the beast but she can’t help to egg him on.

“This is personal for you. You’re looking for more than just one lonely little soldier. You’re after the people that destroyed the station. Your price just went up.”

He quickly grabs her wrist, bending the metal bracer cuff. “Don’t toy with me weakling. You have three days to get me information on the Assholes that were involved, or I will rip your limbs off.”

“Tsk so touchy... I’ll send you the coordinates in two. If you’re nice, I’ll throw in a bonus at no extra cost.”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

A trail of scattered armor lying on the floor of the overly bright white room. Steam billowing from the bathing room.

“Took you long enough.” Bardock could hear Bulma from the shower, the scent of a sweet fruit, and the humidity was getting to him.

“I was held up. Did you find him?” He could hear the water suddenly stop. She walks out with a towel wrapped around her slender form, and another piled on top of her head. He chuckles to himself. She’s the strangest creature he has ever encountered. Without her armor, she’s nothing but a scrawny twig.

“I freed your baby boy, he is safe for now. Probably crawling his lowly ass to the 5th quadrant. Drunk in some tavern.” Drying her long blue hair with the towel, and then carelessly tosses it to the floor.

“All that hair looks uncomfortable in that helmet.”

“You’re going to go over hairstyles with me?”

Bardock shrugs his shoulders “Now you know why Saiyans never wear helmets.”

“Your boy is being hunted by your Prince and his Goonie. He hired me to find information.”

“Did you?”

“Of course, I did.” She winches from the feeling of regret, quickly stomping it down. She owes nothing to this man in front of her. It’s her right to hate him.

“He has a week lead before Vegeta catches him.”

“You didn’t need to destroy the station Bulma. Frieza will have this quadrant filled with imperial soldiers. They will be looking for Raditz and you”

“I’m not worried, remember I’m a ghost.”

Bardock plucks up the breastplate from the floor, inspecting all the interior components. Poking it with his sausage fingers.  
“One of these days, you will make a mistake. The Empire shows no mercy.”

“Jaco doesn’t liked to be fondled.” Bulma quickly snatches it out from his hands and tosses it on the bed.

“The only man that can get close to you, and he isn’t a he at all.”

She pads over to her closet, exposing her bare back to him letting the towel drop around her feet. Bardock silently watches, and with a heavy sigh turns his head to stare at a white wall.

“I need another favor. Find Raditz before Vegeta does, give him this.” He leaves a crypto card on the little white table next to her bed.

She pulls her hair into a tight ponytail and slips into her black thermals. She watches Bardock’s reflection in the mirror. He looks tired and worn down. She knows he’s an honorable man by Sayijan standard.  
Ugh, she has a soft spot for the old man after all. She rummages through her armor, clipping everything back into its proper place.  
She glances over her shoulder. “It’s going to cost you.” Securing her helmet, she snaps the visor down, grabbing the card before walking out of the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be kind. I'm soft and squishy.


	3. Phantom Memory

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music selection  
> Savages - by Royal Deluxe
> 
> You should never come too close  
> Believe me cuz I know  
> On the level with you

Raditz propped up against a tree not too far from an irrigation canal, wearing tattered rags. Clothes he swiped from a poor native creature. He takes a slow swig from a flask watching the sunrise. 

“He appears to be intoxicated.” Bulma high above in the treetop watching the same scenic sunrise. She doesn’t acknowledge Jaco’s voice. 

Call it a backwater agriculture mud hole, this dwarf planet is incredibly beautiful. A person could settle down and raise a family here. Oh, there’s that word, “family.” It’s been 17 years since her world was purged. Long painful years of sorrow, anger, regret, and slew of other emotions. She was fourteen years old when it happened. She remembers her Mom and Dad, their kindness, and kooky ways. But, their faces became a blur in her memory. Bardock claimed her as a pet. Since her world was going to be void of all life, he felt compelled to keep at least one individual species alive. 

Shaking the phantom memory away like an annoying fly, she readies herself for the encounter.   
“Jaco, be ready he’s not going to be happy when he connects the dots.” 

She leaps down from the treetop, landing a few meters behind him concealing herself in the brush.  
“I know you’re there. You don’t stand a chance against a Sayian.” He tosses his flask into the canal. Pushing himself away from the tree in sluggish movements. 

Click, and then a buzzing sound coming from his right ear. He glances at her hand, feeling the radiating heat against his face. Her palm gantlet creating a energy similar to his ki. 

“Don’t move.” She nudges him with her other hand. With a condescending smirk, He grabs her forearms and starts swinging her in circles like a hammer throw, tossing her into the forest behind them. She collides into several trees, snapping them all like toothpicks, she falls into a thorny bush.

Raditz standing in the path of the destruction. “Come out little fucker!” Nothing but silence and rustling of leaves. 

“Cocky, Son of a bitch.” Bulma fires her palm gauntlet, hitting Raditz square in the chest knocking him off his feet.   
She emerges from her hiding, walking towards him with her arm outright, stepping into the sunlight. He recognizes the matte blue-ish grey armor of an Ocēlōtl warrior. She’s ready to go on the offensive, calculating ten tactical moves ahead of him. With her free hand, she opens her visors. 

Crystal blue eyes. 

“It’s you! I have the whole fucking empire looking for me, because of you. You fucking set me up! I’m going to kill you slowly, and then eat your heart while it’s still beating” His tail unwraps from his waist, lashing back and forth like a pissed-off cat. He jumps back up and drops into a fighting stance. 

“Blue, his energy level is increasing. He’s going to try and make a move.”

“You think a blast is going to stop me?” Raditz nostrils flares from his outburst of rage.

“You Saiyans, are all alike, arrogant.” Walking just meters from him. “At such a close range, I’m positive the blast would knock some of your pretty teeth, and mangle your face. Let me test this theory. For the record, I didn’t set you up. I liberated you.”

He tilts his head back, and beings to laugh maniacally. “Liberated? Oh! I’m the damsel in distress, and you are my fucking hero.”

Her weapon becomes louder as the power output charges. “Calm the fuck down. I see we can do this two ways: continue to fight and set off alarms to the imperials or you could just fucking listen to me. There is always option c. I could just kill you, and say fuck it, you’re not worth the trouble.”

Raditz lowers his arms and relaxes his stance. “Spit it out.”

“I’m here to deliver a message to you from your old man and warn you of your impending doom. Vegeta knows of your location.”  
She tosses him the crypto card, he catches it with ease.

“My old man? What does he want?” He takes a deep breath, wrapping his furry appendage back around his waist. 

She lowers her arms down slowly. “Don’t know and don’t care. Jaco scan and send an encryption message to Bardock and scramble the trail.” An infrared light scans Raditz up and down.

“Blue, I hate to cut in your flirtatious chit chat with this monkey, but imperials are poking near your ship.” 

Her visor clicks back down. A map indicates several imperial platoons. “Fuck.” 

“Wait, the imperials are already here?” Raditz tucks the crypto card in his tunic, looking over the farm field. Off in the distance a flock of startled birds fly above the forest canopy.

Raditz mood instantly changed from a raging dick to someone who is concerned for another. “We have to save the village.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I struggled to get this chapter put together. =-(   
> Just a note. I edited the timeline in the 2nd chapter.


	4. Meet me on the Battle Field

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No time for rest  
> No pillow for my head  
> Nowhere to run from this  
> No way to forget  
> Around the shadows creep  
> Like friends, they cover me  
> Just wanna lay me down and finally  
> Try to get some sleep  
> We carry on through the storm  
> Tired soldiers in this war  
> Remember what we're fighting for  
> Meet me on the battlefield  
> Even on the darkest night  
> I will be your sword and shield, your camouflage  
> And you will be mine
> 
> SVRCINA- Meet me on the Battle Field.

Vegeta lands softly onto the ground, inspecting the demolished trees, signs of an altercation. “He was here.”  
There’s not enough battle scaring to indicate that either fighter were several damaged. A fight with a local? 

Vegeta’s scouter signals a transmission from Nappa. “Sir, Raditz pod is in sector-15. It’s non-operational.” 

“Ah. A pleasant surprise to meet you here, Prince Vegeta.” Zarbon floating above him, with a smirk plastered on his primp face.

“Out looking for the third class monkey?” Zarbon continues, as he slowly lowers himself to the ground crossing Vegeta’s path. 

“Why are you here Zarbon, got tired of licking Frieza’s boot?.” 

“I am here to make sure you don’t fail. See, Lord Frieza wants the Monkey alive, and anyone who is involved. He will make a public example out of them. Anyone with an inclination against the Empire, shall have a sentence far greater than death.” Arms crossed, Zarbon flips his dark green braided to the side. 

“Fuck off.” The only response Vegeta will ever give Zarbon, he already knows Zarbon’s intimidation tactics. 

“Very well, we shall stay out of your way.” Zarbon side steps with a mocking bow. “It’s a pity the Saiyans are formidable warriors, too bad your numbers are dwindling.”  
Vegeta phases up into a tree, looking down at him with a snarl. 

\----------------------------------------------------------

Bulma stares out of the open entrance of the cave, trying her best to formulate a plan. Both her and Raditz left their battled area in search of the villagers, only for the villagers to find them. Fish-like humanoids, the farmers called Kanassan, their sole purpose to grow crops for the PTO. The inhabitants, had a labyrinth of pathways in the rocky terrain, hidden sanctuary when things went south. The people appear to be calm, which leads Bulma to believe this must be a recurring event. Somehow, they played on her heart-string, just as they did with Raditz. She sighs, as she starts to tinker with her arm cuff. 

Jaco chimes in her ear. “Blue, Imperials are 15 klicks East. You should tell the monkey to expedite his meditation. I’m picking up a spike of his energy. On a positive note, they have yet to find your spacecraft.” She picks up annoyance in his voice. He was not agreeable with her decision to aid the monkey and the inhabitants. 

Bulma glances over to see Raditz, sitting next to a native Kanassan boy, chatting away. Raditz enthralled by the boy’s story-telling abilities. He pats the child on back as the mother herds the boy away. 

“Hey, Monkey. You need to breathe properly. I’m picking up your signature and I don’t want to die because of you.” Gaining the brute’s attention, he places his hand behind his head and chuckles. 

“It’s a lot different on this side of the fence. Always the hunter and never the prey.”

“You need to focus and I need a plan. How did a Saiyan befriend these people anyway?”

“Well, to be honest, I thought about eating them. But, something about this place, these people. Another planet under the rule of the PTO.” He places both hands behind his head, leaning backward to stretch out his back muscles. Sitting cross-legged on a rocky surface for so long, was starting to bother him. 

He eyes the Ocēlōtl warrior and nods to the emblem on her shoulder plate.  
“That is not an Ocēlōtl emblem is it?” 

She mulls over the question before answering. “It’s not. It’s my family crest from Earth.” 

“I’ve never seen an Earthling before— I wonder what you look like under all that metal. Are you male or female? I’m guessing female with those crystal blue eyes.” 

“Keep it up, and I will just fucking walk away, and let you figure out this shit on your own.” Pushing herself away from the cave wall. “They are looking for you, not me.”

He holds both hands up in a surrendering gesture. “You won’t turn me in.” He draws out the crypto card from his tunic, rubbing it with his thumb and index finger, noting a raindrop symbol on the front.

“Oh? What gave you that idea?”

“You are here with me, and them.” He clicks the crypto card and nothing happens. “What gives? You gave me a broken card.” 

“Bardock must have encrypted it. Smart man.”

She takes in his features and his unruly hair. The Kanassan garb made him look less threatening, more human. “You look more like your mother.”

“You knew my mother?”

She hesitates before speaking further. Trust no one, a mantra that she repeats in her head time and time again. She is human and craves social interaction, giving in to her own better judgment. “She trained me.”

Resuming with her arm cuff, she removes a circular disk and tosses it to him. “Take this, it’s similar to Imperial scouters, Jaco will lead the way.”

“And you?” 

“Don’t worry about me. We leave at nightfall.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts?


	5. The Darkest Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carry me home when the light in my eyes does fade  
> Carry me home when the shadow comes to take me away  
> Lay down my bones knowing I'll be in a better place  
> Release my soul, carry me home
> 
> The Sweeplings- Carry me home

“This is not cowardice or selfishness,” Raditz muttered under his breath, reading from a soft blue glass lens of the redefine scouter the Earthling gave him. The design lightweight and sleek far less bulky than the Imperial scouter, with a tiny earbud component that fits snug in his ear. It gave him readings on imperial stations and a chart to the Earthling’s spacecraft. The plan was simple, he would ready the ship so both could leave the planet. After that, they would go their separate ways. If he stayed he would get caught, causing more harm to the inhabitants of this planet.

He was tired of life as a third-class soldier under the rule of Frieza. As a child he dreamt of rising through the ranks in the Saiyan Empire to become an elite, to stand and fight with his brethren.

“Monkey, you need to pick up the pace. Soldiers are stationed nearby, all low-level fighters.” Jaco. the AI unit that aided the Earthling spoke through the earbud. Raditz’s first impression of the thing, a prick much like himself, at least they spoke the same sarcastic language.

“I can’t focus with your constant babbling and incessant chattering, you annoying gnat.”

“Ah, there goes your energy level. Inhale...exhale... become a lily pad gently floating in a pond. You don’t want to get caught.”

“Shut the fuck up.” He mutters under his breath, crawling up the cliff-side. It took more focus to suppress his ki than he realized. The ridge opened to a meadow, with tall grass that swayed under the moonlight.

“Give me information on the Earthling.” He needed something to preoccupied his mind as he scanned for targets near the area. The device flickered, locating several soldiers on the outer edge of the clearing in the wooded area.

“My creator’s species is Homo sapiens, a primate similar to the Saiyans. Major differences are: the absence of a tail, and substantially lower fighting levels.”

He spots two imperial soldiers walking the trail just beneath him. With stealth, he moves quickly and quietly over the ridge, dispatching them both. He picks up his stride, and two by two, imperials drop without the knowledge of their fallen comrades.

“Perimeter clear,” Jaco announces to Raditz.

“The Earthling created you?” Raditz walks back to the meadow following the ship’s beacon.

“Yes, created me and this ship.” Raditz looks around to see nothing but a few blips on his eye lens. Bumping into something metallic and with caution, he slowly drags his fingertips over the cold rusted surface. A trick on his eyes, like rippling water, the cloaking shield drops, revealing a rust bucket of a ship.

“You gotta be kidding me... We are supposed to get away in this pile of shit? This junk won’t make it out of the atmosphere fast enough!” Running his hands through his thick hair in frustration.

“Don’t let looks deceive you. This ship is faster than any Ginyu craft.”

“Alright, open her up.”

“Access denied.”

Raditz’s face reddens from anger. “What do you fucking mean, access denied!”  
\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Bulma, concealed herself behind a leg of a space cruiser, attaching another electronic explosive, among the others she had already installed at the imperial base. A thrill-seeker, enticed by a chemical compound, her preferred weapon of choice. The feeling of invincibility, the knowledge that she can move freely without detection. One of the many lessons she learned from her Master Gine, instead of looking at weakness as a flaw, turn it to strength. These galactic fighters always focused on power levels but never heat signatures, it made it easy for her to wreak havoc on the PTO.

Her visor radar indicating an increase in Raditz’s vitals. “Speaking of,” Losing her temperament with the Saiyan, she sighs. “What the fuck is wrong with you? I’m able to detect your energy signature, and you know what that means,” in an angry whisper.

“What the fuck is wrong with me!” He raises his voice in anger, all sense of reason gone out the window. “How about open your damn ship? I can’t get the ship ready for take-off, if I’m denied entrance.”

“I simply don’t trust you.” She moves to the next ship, veiled by the shadow”s unseen by any guards, attaching another electronic explosive.

“Trust? Wait a sec... You have less of a risk than me. I don’t trust you. Besides, you have your fancy AI to make sure I don’t dash out.”

“Fine. Jaco grants him access.” Giving in to his whim was better than getting caught. She placed the last electronic explosive on a much larger cargo ship and then leaps over the compound fence. She removes a capsule from her belt, clicking the release valve before tossing it to the ground. The capsule was one of her father’s inventions, one that made her family wealthy. It was also the only keepsake that Bardock allowed her to keep. As the capsule hits the ground with a poof, a hover bike materialized. She hops on the bike and drives off at high speeds in the direction of her ship.

She can hear the sound of the bay doors opening, the hydraulics screeching in dire need of lubrication. Raditz takes a deep breath, “Thank you. Your real voice is beautiful-- sounds a hell-of-a-lot better than the tin can.” His tone gentle and struck her as awkward flirting.

She opens her mouth, undoubtedly to argue but refrains. He is calming himself.

Out of boredom or distraction, Raditz continues to speak through the intercoms. “Small galaxy, huh? It’s funny that my mother trained you. The last time I saw her, I was a child. The day before my first mission off planet Vegeta. She was so proud of me for serving beside our Prince.” He chuckles to himself, “She’s the reason why the old man went crazy, a traditionalist hanging on to old Saiyans ways. Crazy old woman, she would always go off about the Legendary Super Saiyan and mystical stones.”

Bulma, had done extensive research on Saiyan lore, but nothing came up on the Legendary Super Saiyan. Gine was a private woman and held tradition and culture with high regards, since Bulma was an outsider, she was not privy to the information. Most records she recovered, wherefrom the Colds after the Saiyan War. Raditz rattled on for hours, he mostly talked about himself. Their one-sided conversation was refreshing, the connection between two beings.

Jaco sudden interruption, “A high power fighter heading towards the ship’s location.”

“Raditz, you need to hide!” 

“There’s no time...” His voice held a note of sadness. The com disconnect, the only returning sound was static.

“Raditz?” Revving up the engines on her hover bike, she travels at dangerous speeds through the forest floor, lightning strikes the night sky, followed by a clap of thunder.  
\------------------------------------------------------  
The Battle.

“Blue, There is...an.....care” Jaco’s voice crackled in static.

She pulls her hover bike to a halt before reaching the outskirt of the forest, near the meadow. There was nothing but an eerie silence, absent sound of any wildlife, and only the gentle hum of her ship. Her visor giving off erratic readings, forcing her to switch to infrared. There, in the middle of the field laid Raditz’s body sprawled on the ground with a hole in his chest. She quickly ditched her bike only to stop mid-way in the field. The sudden change of humidity made her perspire within her armor, her hair on the nape of her neck stood on end. She realized that she was not alone.

Turning around slowly, she meets her foe, the mighty Prince of all Saiyans. They stood staring at each other, neither exchanging words. The surrounding air seemed supercharged and stifling. Off in the distance, a bright burst of light illuminated the horizon, followed by a boom that shook the ground. Her detonator triggered, setting off a series of explosions. She makes the first move, dashing at him with a combination of punches, each one expertly blocked. A white glove grabs her forearm, crushing her gauntlet, fracturing her bones. She shrieks a sharp piercing scream. She knows this is a losing battle, her armor not made to go against such strength. But, she attacked out of rage, a raw emotion she hadn’t felt in a long time. For so long she felt numb, an empty shell, no cares for anyone but herself. With her free hand she fires off several blasts at point-blank range to his face, an attempt to be free. He releases only to send a sidekick to her head. The sheer force knocks her helmet off, sending her barreling into the cliff-side.

He looked down at the fallen warrior, surrounded by rubble, a sea of blue tangled hair, bleeding profusely from the head. With the tip of his white boot he rolls the tin can over. Inaudible words and groans of pain, she looks up at him with dazed and unfocused eyes before passing out.

Those damn eyes...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank everyone for the lovely comments!


	6. Sweeter Place, Strawberry Shortcake

She awoke with an unbearable throbbing sensation in her head, her vision blurred. A soft moan escapes her lips, pushing herself to lay on her back looking upwards with her good eye. The searing bright white walls, and light amps up the painful sensation. “Jaco?” Trying to get her bearings with her good hand, she reaches out to touch the wall. The room no larger than a small closet. She pushes herself up in a sitting position, hunched over, her stomach flip-flopped with nausea. She notices that the majority of her armor was removed. Her tight black thermos wet from sweat. Again in a whisper, “Jaco?” Panic sets in, as her brain kicks into overdrive. She starts to hyperventilate, as old memories from her past-life fill her mind. Burning buildings, the smell of death, the sound of footsteps... She hears the door slide open and focuses on a pair of white boots. A familiar face-- friend, or foe? She forces herself to regulate her breathing. 

Just focus on his face. 

Vegeta crouches down in front of her, dangling a crypto card from a tattered red cloth. “Open it,” voicing his demands. Her face swollen from the fight, her hair a tangled matted mess. He grabs the collar of her thermals bringing her inches from his face. “I said, open it.” 

Defiance, suborn, a mirror of himself. “Fuck you.” She spits in his face. He wipes the saliva away with the back of his prestigious white glove. Grabbing her injured arm non-to-gently, and with a sickening crack, resets her broken bone. Her body goes into shock, as she presses up against him for support, her mouth gaps open in a silent scream. 

“Strawberry... Shortcake.” Her voice, inaudible words, and heavy breathing.

“What?”

“Strawberry SHORTCAKE!” She yells. Through her blurred vision, she can make out what is left of her helmet, sitting on the console next to Nappa. The giant sits in her captain’s chair. A whirl of lights, voice recognition, a fail-safe triggered from her ships main computer.

“Sir, I’ve lost navigation to the ship.” Nappa manically, flipping through the controls at the helm. The power shuts off, replaced with the red backup lights and minimal life support. 

She leans her head closer to whisper into Vegeta’s ear. He can feel the sultry smirk of her lips against his earlobe. “Checkmate.” 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
The warrior, the water nymph, the pain in his ass, floats peacefully in synthesis healing fluids, surrounded by her cerulean hair. The ambient glow of the liquid from the rejuvenation tank, combined with the soft gentle hum, creates the perfect white noise and atmosphere for him to get lost in thought. Arms crossed, leaning against the medical room wall, between his thumb and index finger he rubs the tattered red fabric.

She’s one step ahead of me. 

Nappa’s baritone voice breaks him from his trance, speaking from the doorway. “She resembles a Sayian, awfully thin.” 

“Tsk.” Vegeta drops the crypto card into a stainless steel surgical tray with a clank. Nappa steps to the side to allow his superior to step out of the room. 

“I’ll be in the sleeping chamber. Notify me when the beast is healed.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short Chapter. Life is crazy.


End file.
